Screen door brace



Patented Apr. 21, 1936 PATENT ()FFICE SCREEN DOOR BRACE Guy A. Wellman,Geneva, Ohio, assignor te The Champien Hardware Cempany, Geneva, Ohio,

a eorporation of Ohie Applcation February 24, 1934, Serial No. 712,767

9 Claims. (Cl. 20-38) 'I'his invention has te do with braces and, moreparticularly, with braees for the frames of door sereens, window sereensor the like.

An object of the invention is te provide an ineproved brace, of the typementioned, whieh is of simplified and economical eonstruetien, whieh aanhe easily and quiekly applied te the sereen frame without the need. ofspecial toels er equipment, and whieh is of sueh form that the desiree'ldegree of frame eerreetion ean be readily obtained either at the time ofinitial installation of the brace, or by adjustment frem time. to timeas conditons may require.

Another object of the invention is te provide an improved brace, of thetype mentioned, embodying twe parts adapted te be conneeteclrespectively te different pertiens of the sereen frame, and wherein anadjustable eenneetien between the parts for varying the length of thebrace includes a plurality of leeking elements arrangecl on one of theparts so as te extend. as a series in angular relatien with respect tethe frame, and loeking means rigid with the ether part for selectiveeooperation with the loekng elements of the series.

A further object of this invention is te provide an improvecl brace, ofthe type mentioned, comprising an elengated member eenneeteel te oneportien of the frame and havng a locking part integral therewith, and abraeket member seeured to another pertion of the frame and having anangularly disposed series of loeking teeth thereon adapteol te beseleetively engaged by the locking part of the elongated member.

It is also an object of this invention te proviele an improved andsimplified sereen door brace cemprising an elongated. member havingpivotal cenneetion with ene portien of the sereen door frame, and asecond member seeured te another pertion of the sereen door frame andhavng a hoek portion prevideel with an angularly dispesed. series ofteeth, the elongated member havng an opening therein te adjustablyreeeive the teothed hoek portion.

Fig. 3 is a detaehed elevatienal view of the brace of Fig. 1, butshewing the same en a semewhat largr seale.

Fig. 4 is a similar elevatienal view of the brace shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspeetve view of the bracket memoer of the braceillustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspeetive view shovving the locking pertien of theelongated member of the brace shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a perspeetive view shewng the braeket member of the braceillustrated in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 8 is a perspeetive view of the loeking portion which ceeperateswith the bracket of Fig. 7.

Detailed referenee will presently be made to the aeeempanying clrawngwheren I have illustrated. an improved and. smplified form of brace tebe used en the frames of door sereens, winclow screens, or the like formaintainng er eorreeting the shape of sueh frames. Before proceedingwith sueh detailed deseriptien, it will be understooe. of course thatthe invention may be embodiecl in various ether arrangements of partsthan he-rein llustrated, and that the brace of my invention may beapplied te varieus kinds of frames or apparatus in additien te thesereen frames illustrateel in the drawing;

In Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown a portion of a sereen ofeenventional form, sueh as might be used as a sereen door or a windowsereen, and have shown my improved. brace applied te this sereen for thepurpese of adjusting and. maintaining the shape of the frame of thesereen so as te eliminate sag and enable the sereen te be moreaecurately aeeemmodated te the door er windew frame with whieh it is tebe used. 'I'he partieular sereen shown in this instance is prevideelwith a marginal frame wheh ineludes side rails er stiles IEB, II ancltwo or more transverse rails I2. A sheet er web B of sereen material,sueh as wire sereening, may be attaehed to the frame in the usualmarmer. My improved brace. M is preferably applied to the sereen at oneof the corners thereof se that when preperly adjusted t Wi1l tenel telift the oppesite corner of the sereen te correct and maintain the shapeof the frame anolthereby eliminate undesrable sag.

This brace, as shown in the drawing, is of very simple eenstruetien andeomprises a braeket member I5, and an elengated member I6. These membersare eenneeted, respeetively, te different portions of the sereen frame,for example the braeket member may be eonneeted. te the sicle rail andthe elengated member may be eenneeted to the end. rail I2. As will bepresently explained, the members l and IB are provided with eooperatingparts forming an adjustable conneetion for varying the 1ength of thebrace to thereby eliminate the undesirable sag mentioned above.

The braeket member I 5 may be of any suitable eonstruetion, for exampleit may be a cast-metal part, and is preferably provided. with a baseportion I'| which can be conveniently attached to the rail Hl bysuitable screws I8. The member 15 is also provided with a hook portion[9, which extends in angular relation to the base portion 11 and. therail [0, and. has a pluralty of loeking elements thereon. These lockingelements are preferably in the form of serrations or teeth 2 which arearranged to extend in a series along the angu- 1arly disposed hoekportion.

The elongated member I6 may likewise be of any suitable eonstruetion,for example, it may be a metallic member of channel-like cross section.This elongated member is conneeted to another portion of the frame, suchas the end rail 12 and, if desired, this conneetion may be made as apivotal connection to permit swinging of the elongated member. For thispurpose a suitable conneeting clip. er bracket 21 may be used. and. ispvoted to the e1ongated member and attached. to the end rail |2 bysuitab1e serews.

The opposite end. of the elongateo'l member I6 is provided with alocking part 22 which is rigid with, and. preferably also integral with,the elongated member and which cooperates with the angularly disposed.series of locking elements 20. In this instance the loeking part 22 isshown as being provided. with an elongated opening 23 therethrough whichreeeives the hoek porton 19 of the braeket member l5. If desired, theedge 24 of the opening 23 may be made of V-shape so. that it willreadily engage in the grooves between the adjaeent lockng teeth of theseries. From the arrangement just described it will be seen that thehoek part 19, which supports the series of teeth and. extends throughthe opening 23, also serves as a guide for the locking part 22 of theelongated member so that this part may be readily shifted along theseries of locking teeth for varying the length of the brace.

The free end of the hoek portion l9 may be provided with a stop 25 toprevent the loeking part 22 from beeoming detached from the bracketmember after the parts have once been assembled and. applied to thesereen frame. This stop may be formed integral with the hook portion ofthe bracket member andmaybe elongated inthe transverse direetion so thatthe elongated opening 23 of the member I6 wi11 aecommodate the stoponl-y when the member l6 extenols transversely of the hoek portion.

It might well loe explained at this point that the angular relation ofthe series of loeking teeth 20 to the rail is such that the straightline distance from the pivot point of the clip H to the teeth at theenter end. of the series is shorter than the straight line distanee fromthe pivot point to the innermost teeth of the series. In ether words theangular arrangement of the series of teeth is sueh that as the member l6is swung so as te move the loeking part 22 along the hook part I9 towardthe rail I 0, there will be a progressve shortening of the brace whichcauses a lifting foree to be transmitted therethrough In applying thebraee to the frame of a sereen door or the like, the parts: |5 and I 6are arranged in approximateiy the relative postions shown in Fig. 1 butwith the locking part 22 immediately ad=jacentto the stop 25, and afterbeing attached.

to the frame the locking part 22 of the elongated member is adjusted. toa position along the series of teeth which will cause the oppositecorner of the frame te be lfted an amount sufficient to eliminate thesag. In making this adjiistment pressure may be applied to the sereenframe at diagonally opposite corners and. the loeking part of theelongated member 6 may be shifted along the series of loeking teethtoward the base portion I' of the braeket while sueh pressure is beingmaintained. Adjustment of the lockirrg part in this direeton shortensthe braee, as explained above, and the sagging corner of the frame isthereby liftecl and retained in the desired position of adjustment.

In Figs. 2, 7 and 8 of the drawing I have shown the principle of myinvention emboolied in another brace which is also of very simpleconstruetion. As shown in Fig. 2, this latter form of braee may beapplied to the corner of a sereen frame having side rails28 and 29andtransverse rails 30, and. when thus applieol the brace tends te liftthe outer rail 29- to correct unciesirable sagging of the frame. Thebraee of Fig. 2eomprises an elongated. member 3l having one end thereofconnected to the sicle rail 28, as by means of a suitable braeket erclip 32 and pivotal conneetion 33, and a bracket 34 which may beconneeted to the transverse rail 30. The braeket 34 is provided with anangularly disposed series of locking elements, preferably in the form ofteeth er serrations 35. The elongated member 3I is provided, preferablyat its free end, with an integral rigid. locking part 36 which isshiftable along the series of loeking teeth for varying the length ofthe brace.

The bracket 34 may be made from sheet metal by bencling er forming thesame te suitable shape such as the shape illustrated. in Fig. 7. Theserrations er teeth 35 may be formed en the arm 31 of this braeket and.may be arranged. in two rowsdisposed on opposite sides of a slot 38extendingthrough the bracket. The loeking part 36 of the elongatedmember may be provided. with a substantally T-1ike projection 39 whichextencls through the slot 38 of the bracket. The loeking: part 36 mayalso be provided with a V- shaped. edg.e 40 for engagement in thegrooves between the adjacent teeth of the series carried by the bracket34. The T-lke projection 39 serves te retain the loeking part of theelongated member in eooperatng relation with the bracket and. alsoserves as a guiding means for this part of the eiongated. member.

When adjustment of the. sereen frame is te be made, the members 3! and34 are applecl, respeetively, to the rails 28 and 30 of the sereen frameand, by applying pressure te diagonal corners of the sereen frame, theshape of the frame may be changecl sufiieiently te eliminate theundesirable sag and, while such pressure is being maintained, thelocking part 33 is shifted along the series of teeth 35 in a directiontoward the apex of the braeket 34. Because of the angular position ofthe series of teeth, the shifting of the loeking part 35 in thedireetion mentioned causes the braee to be lengthenecl which lifts therail 29 and takes up the sag in the frame. When the locking part 36 hasbeen shifted sufiieiently to take up the sag in the sereen frame, itwill be retained in the desired position of adjustment by the lockingteeth, and the sereen frame will then be retained in the desired shapeby the brace.

In the drawing I have shown the frame braees of Figs. 1 and 2 as. beingconnected to the inner edges of the rails of the sereen frame; but itwill be understood, of course, that the same braces could also bearranged te be connected to the flat outer faces of the rails of theframes, if that were found to be desirable.

It will be noted that in the brace of Fig. 1 and also in the brace ofFig. 2, the series of locking elements and the elongated member arearranged so that the axis of the elongated member extends approximatelyat right angles to the line of locking elements. With this relation ofthe parts, an efiicient locking connectienis btained which is not likelyte bejarred out of adjustmnt, and the force transmitted through thebrace is most effective at this angle for as-- sisting in retaining theparts in locking engagement With each other. It W11 also be noted, thatin both of the devces herein disclosed the angular relation of theseries of teeth tends t0 cause the V-edge of the locking part to beWedged down into the groeve between adjacent teeth and since the wedgingaction is increased by any disengaging movement of the V-edge, the partsare not likely to be jarred out of adjustment.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawing it wil] now bereadily seen that I have provided a form of sereen frame brace which ismade up of very few parts and which is of extremely simple andeconomical construction. It will be seen 'furthermore that my improvedbrace can be readily applied to the sereen frame by persons who are notskilled mechanics and will serve efliciently to take up undesirable sagin the sereen frame and retain the same in the desired adjustedcondition. It will be noted further, from the drawng and the foregongdescription, that the locking elements provided on one member of thebrace are arranged in a series which extends in angular relation withrespect to the sereen frame, and that the locking part of the othermember which cooperates with such series of leckng elements, is integraland rigid wth such other part. With this arrangement 1 find that thesereen brace of my invention can be constructed to comprise only twoparts, thus eliminating or reducing in number the various movable-partarrangements provided in the adjustable sereen frame braces heretoforeproposed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sereen-frame brace comprsing a hook member for conneetion with aportion of the frame, said hook member having a portion thereof providedWith a series of teeth arranged to extend in inclined angular relationto said frame portion, and means for connection with another portion ofthe frame and provided with a locking part having an opening adapted toreceive the toothed portion of said hoek member, said leeking part beingshiftable along said inclined series to vary the length of the brace.

2. A sereen-frame brace comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to aportion of the frame and having a slotted portion extending in inclinedrelation to such frame portion, said slotted portion having a series oflocking elements thereon, and a member adapted for attachment withanother p0rtion of the frame and havng parts rigid therewith including apart adapted to extend into the slot of said inclined bracket portionand a part for selective engagement With the locking elements of saidseries.

3. A sereen-frame brace comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to aportion of. the frame and having a slotted portion extending outwardlyin inc1ined relation to such frame portion, said slotted portion havinga series of teeth thereon,

and an elongated member adapted te be connected to another portion of.the frame and having at one end thereof means for selective lockingengagement with said teeth ineluding a T- like part extendng through theslot of the toothed bracket portion, said rigid parts being shiftablealong said series te vary the length of the brace.

4. A sereen-frame brace comprising two parts adapted te be connectedrespectively with different portions of the frame and having anadjustable connection therebetween for varying the length of the brace,said connection comprising an arm on one of said parts projecting fromthe frame portion te which such one part is eennected and extending ininclined angular relation to the direetion in which such frame portionextends, locking elements extending in an elongated series along suchinelined arm, and means rigid With the other of said parts for selectiveen gagement with the locking elements of said series, said rigid meansbeing shiftable along the inclined series of elements whereby theangularity of the latter causes the length of the brace to be varied.

5. A brace for a frame having connected rail members, comprsing anelongated part havng one end thereof pivotally attached to one of saidrail members and having a locking part at its other end, and a bracketattached to another of said rail members and having an arm projectingfrom the rail and extending in inclined angular relation to thedirection in which such rail extends, said arm having a plurality oflocking elements thereon adapted to be selectively engaged by saidiocking part and arranged to extend in an elongated series a1ong suchinclined arm and transversely to the axis of said elongated part wherebyshifting of said loeking part along the series of elements varies thelength of the brace.

6. A sereen-frame brace comprising an elongated member having one endthereof adapted for connection with one portion of the frame and havingan integral locking part at its other end, and a member adapted forattachment with another portion of the frame and having a hook partarranged to extend in inclined angular relation to the direction inwhich such ether frame portion extends, said hook part having lockingelements thereon adapted te be selectively engaged by said locking partand arranged te extend in an elongated series along such inclined hoekpart whereby shfting of said locking part along said series varies thelength of the brace.

7. A sereen-frame brace comprising a member adapted to be attached toone portion of the sereen-frame and having an arm adapted te project ininclined angular relation to the portion of the sereen-frame to whichsuch member may be attached, said projecting arm having a plurality oflocking teeth extending in an elongated series therealong, and a secondmember for connection wth another portion of the sereen-frame and havinga locking part for selective engagement With the teeth of said series,one of said members having an opening therein to receive a portion ofthe other member and said ether member having a stop thereon to preventaccidental disengagement.

8. A sereen-frame brace comprising a member adapted to be attached toone portion of the sereen-frame and having an arm adapted te project ininclined angular relation to the frame porton te which such member maybe attached, said arm havng a plurality of teeth thereon extendng in anelongated series therealong, and a second member for connection wtha.nother portion of the sereen-frame and havng a locking part forselectve engagement with the teeth of said series, one of sad membershaving a slot theren and the other member havng a stop thereon adaptedto enter sad slot when sad members are in one position and preventseparation of sad members when they are in a normal relative poston.

9. A sereen-frame brace comprisng a. member for connecton with a portonof the frame, sad member being provided with a heek porton adapted toproject in nclined angular relation to the porten of the frame te whchsuch member may be connected, such hook porton havng an elongatedseresof teeth extending therealong, a second member for connection Withanother porton of the frame and havng an opening adapted to receive sadhoek portion and. a locking part for selectve cooperaton with the teethof said series, anda stop at the free end of said hoek porton to preventdisengagement of the lockng part therefrom.

GUY A. WELLMAN.

